A lighthouse designed by Juan Brito and named "The light that guides us" as a tribute to the seven fishermen murdered in Cruz del Mar, on November 28, 1978. This is the project that was presented this Wednesday in the Cabildo, on the 34th anniversary of this event, with which it is also intended to remember all the fishermen from Lanzarote who left the island and never returned. The monument, which will be placed in the surroundings of Puerto Naos, could become a reality in mid-2013.
The president of the Cabildo, Pedro San Ginés, explained that this monument will be designed "thanks to the agreement that is expected to be signed with the Government of the Canary Islands and the Port Authority of Las Palmas." The project has an estimated budget of 30,000 euros and will be co-financed in equal parts by the Government of the Canary Islands, the Port Authority of Las Palmas and the Cabildo of Lanzarote.
San Ginés recalled that the Cabildo of Lanzarote in its Plenary of the Corporation already nominated a subsidy of 10,000 euros in this year of 2012, which will be retained until the contribution of the Government of the Canary Islands is formalized in 2013 so that the Port Authority can finally execute this monument. In addition, he wanted to announce that the creator of this project, Juan Brito, "could soon be named Favorite Son of Lanzarote".
The monument will measure 7.5 meters in height, although at first Juan Brito thought of making it 15 meters. "More than a monument, it is a sculptural ensemble that represents all the sailors who one day left this port and never returned," recalled the professor of the Pancho Lasso School of Arts and Crafts, José Pérez Dorta, who has defined Brito's project as "a lighthouse about 7.5 meters high that will be flanked by two large anchors that provide the feeling of rootedness, the root that clings to the island and prevents it from following a course adrift."
A chapel with the image of the Virgen del Carmen
The project also includes eight bollards engraved with the names of the seven sailors who died in the terrorist attack on Cruz del Mar, "not as an individual tribute, but in representation of the missing sailors." It is for this reason that an eighth bollard appears without any engraving. Another aspect that is included in Brito's project is the devotion of the men of the sea to the Virgen del Carmen, representing inside the construction of the lighthouse a small chapel with an altar where a carving of this image will be located.
The presentation of this monument was also attended by one of the survivors of the Cruz del Mar tragedy, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, who has been fighting for years for a tribute to his colleagues. "Seeing it finished will be a relief, because we will have a place to put a bouquet of flowers. I hope it rises very quickly," he said.
Tribute in the vicinity of the Guild
At 6:00 p.m. this Wednesday, in addition, an act will be held in tribute to the murdered fishermen, in the vicinity of the Fishermen's Guild. The act will consist of a floral offering by all administrations and reading of poems by a group of children.
